[General question to the Android community] Have you given up on the audio jack, or do you still only buy devices that have it?

(Posting this here rather than !askandroid as it's a quite general question)

I had a look at the GSM Arena phone finder, and it the choice is getting smaller and smaller every year (only 43 phones from 2023, reviewed by the site, had a jack)

The remaining ones are mostly

  • Xiaomi Redmi
  • Zenfones
  • Sony
  • Samsung entry range

So, has everyone switched to Bluetooth / USB-C dongles, or are there still a few people holding to the jack until the very end?

card797 ,

I never used the audio jack when it was on the phone. I don't use headphones with my phone. Those are for PC when playing at a LAN party.

Ilandar ,

I don't listen to music away from my desktop very often these days, as that experience has mostly been replaced by audiobooks and podcasts. So in a purely selfish sense, the disappearance of the 3.5 mm jack doesn't really affect me. I am content with Bluetooth for the majority of my use cases. However, I am still not convinced that the 3.5 mm jack had to disappear as early as it did or that engineers and designers can't find a way to include it on a modern, high end smartphone, so in that sense its disappearance annoys me. Until recently I have also been using a variety of 2017-18 era phones, all of which have a 3.5 mm jack, and it is very satisfying to have the occasional music listening session in a cosy setting like my bed with studio headphones plugged in.

The problem I have with Bluetooth vs wired, is the same problem I have with lossy vs lossless music and low vs high bitrate video. What frustrates me is not that I can immediately discern a difference (though depending on the material and comparison, sometimes it's quite obvious) but rather that if I think I hear an imperfection my immediate thought is "would this sound better through my wired headphones?". And as soon as that thought pops into my head I find myself actively listening for further imperfections to prove my theory, instead of just relaxing and enjoying the music like I intended to. With wired headphones I know that it's very unlikely there will be any quality problems and I can just get completely immersed in the experience.

Auli ,

I was already using bluetooth headsets when they removed it so really didn't care.

ilinamorato ,

I think it was probably eliminated a little too early, but I switched to a moderately cheap pair of Bluetooth earbuds while I still had a 3.5mm anyway, so I didn't really care. I don't even think I own a pair of 3.5mm headphones anymore, actually.

Shimitar ,
@Shimitar@feddit.it avatar

Still on 3.5mm Jack. I have a poco x3 NFC. And would buy again a phone with a jack but...

No i don't use it much, maybe once in a while when I need headphones while my BT tw are charging or I forgot them home.

To be honest wired headphones are unpractical and messy and I always tend to tear them out of my hears. Usually only use them at my desk with my laptop while phone on bt headset.

So to be honest, jack is something I could do without but that would still be an inconvenience for the limited cases I would need.

So probably I would buy a phone without one... Granted I would always prefer one with the jack at same price/hardware point.

DSTGU ,

I wouldnt buy a phone without it. Currently on Pocophone M5, happy user

glacier ,
@glacier@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I've given up on it. While I think it was silly to remove, I've come to find it just as silly to be so attached to a cable. Bluetooth and USBC headphones have worked just fine for me.

dingus , (edited )

Yeah I'm a bit salty that it's gone, but I've actually found using Bluetooth earbuds to be a way better experience. I'm no longer snagging a cable on everything and ripping them out of my ears. Maybe I'm just a clumsy idiot, but I did this all the time with wired headphones.

One thing that Bluetooth headphones still suck for is gaming. The lag is too obnoxious. So I have a pair of headphones that can convert to wired for that purpose. I don't game on my phone so that part is a non-issue for me.

You can also get a decent pair at a relatively inexpensive price nowadays. It used to be crazy expensive to jump in, but there are a lot of cheaper ones out there nowadays that still offer great sound.

Edit: I saw a commenter complain about the lag when watching videos. This doesn't happen for me. I'm not sure if the tech is in my phone itself or in my headphones (I have two different pairs from different companies), but there is some sort of processing that goes on that makes it so the audio and video are synced, no matter if I'm watching a local video on my phone or a YouTube video. I can even manually adjust it with a "Bluetooth metronome" setting/app, but I've never needed to manually adjust it. For me, lag only happens when playing video games.

rbits ,

I bought the Zenfone 9, but now the new Zenfones don't have headphone jacks, so I don't know what phone to buy when I end up needing a new one. There seems to be no phones with headphone jacks that aren't huge, except for the budget phones

telllos ,

Zenfone 10 and zenfone 11 have both headphone jacks

rbits ,

Huh, I thought they didn't. Maybe I'm confusing it with the Google Pixels, I switched away from them because they don't have headphone jacks anymore. I feel like there was something about the new Zenfones that I didn't like, idk

telllos ,

Yeah, pixels dropped the headphone jack. I'm kinda looking for a new phone. But can't find any with all the features my Galaxy s10+ has. Zenfones come close.

On the zenfone 11 the headphone jack is even at the bottom. It's missing the SD card reader.

nudnyekscentryk ,
@nudnyekscentryk@szmer.info avatar

I have a 3.5mm jack in my phone and I haven't used it once for the past two or three years I have used this device. I switched to a pair of tws Bluetooth earbuds in 2019 (around, but definitely pre-covid) and have used the same pair since. Everyone who claims Bluetooth earphones are unrecyclable electric garbage probably have never gotten a proper pair (which doesn't have to be expensive whatsoever) or any at all

Shimitar ,
@Shimitar@feddit.it avatar

I got a mildly expensive pair (100€) and are rock solid since I guess 2018 or 2019. Batteries still last as much as needed, and they never failed me. Battery last days with my usage and in any case, just recharge one while using the other. I use them for phone calls mostly, or movies, and lots of music while I run.

I also have a cheapo pair (30€) which still work from 2015/0216 but I didn't used them much since 2019, so...

Ilandar ,

I have had a similar experience to you. My earliest pair was bought in 2019 and their battery life is still really good. Perhaps I just don't listen as often or at the same level of volume as others. However, they are still objectively worse for the environment than wired earphones by virtue of the battery - there is no escaping that.

Sylence ,
@Sylence@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I exclusively use phones with a 3.5mm jack. Currently on a Sony Xperia 1 IV. That said, I also use bluetooth IEMs sometimes and I like having the option of switching between wired/wireless when convenient.

hawgietonight ,

I'm in a mixed case, I do use bone conducting headphones that are wireless when on my bike, because ear headphones are a 100€ fine I would like to avoid. Well, also use a Cardo on my motorbike..

But on the treadmill or at home I use some good quality wired earbuds, with thick ribbon cable that doesn't tangle up. It is just confortable for me and one less thing to charge and throw away after the batt says goodbye.

The phone: Ulefone Armor 21.

ColdWater ,
@ColdWater@lemmy.ca avatar

I need headphone jack, because fuck doungle and Bluetooth headphones both are unreliable son of a bitch and they can burn in hell

Blaze OP ,
@Blaze@lemmy.zip avatar

Which phone do you currently use?

ColdWater ,
@ColdWater@lemmy.ca avatar

I'm using Galaxy Note 8 with Lineage OS

Blaze OP ,
@Blaze@lemmy.zip avatar

Thanks, that's impressive

baatliwala ,

Gave up, I use USB C to 3.5mm dongle

danielfgom ,
@danielfgom@lemmy.world avatar

I bought a Sony Xperia 10iii back in December 2022 for the headphone jack, SD card slot and IP rating. Plus it's Sony and one of my all time best phones was my Xperia Z2.

When it comes time to replace it I will first look to see which phone offers a jack. I use it several times a week.

However the downside is that the only premium phones with it are Sony but very expensive. I can't afford a 5v when though I'd love it.

If you get a midrange phone you always lose out on a great camera. Which is crappy. So you have to choose between headphone jack with poor cameras Vs no headphone jack with good cameras.

Or somehow get enough money together to buy an Xperia 5v.

Ps don't bother with ZenFone. Asus is known for poor quality and very, very bad support

Blaze OP ,
@Blaze@lemmy.zip avatar

Or somehow get enough money together to buy an Xperia 5v.

Ps don’t bother with ZenFone. Asus is known for poor quality and very, very bad support

Thank you for your message.

Xperia 5 V looks indeed a very nice option on paper, but definitely pricey.

Thanks for the heads up on Zenfones

Asidonhopo ,
@Asidonhopo@lemmy.world avatar

I've got an FM transmitter I use to listen to music in the car and it connects with a headphone jack so I still buy phones that have it. I also am fond of the physical home button so that limits my choices further. Luckily inexpensive late model Samsungs are easy enough to come by, I don't game on my phone so processing power isn't a concern.

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